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Elves
The Elves Or Ældon in their native tongue, are a race which reside in Western Ord. The many Elves try their utmost to follow their ancestors in as many ways as possible, namely though, through traditions involving marriage and reproduction. Elves are not native to Ord, coming to the world during an expansive war with their Orcish foes. This great battle was known as the War of Wings and had cataclysmic results on the sphere, leaving the survivors to fend for themselves on a hostile world. These events are described in verse 478 of the "The 23 Seeds" in Yarethan's epic poem "Sons of the Stars." Elves are among the tallest of all of the common Races. They are slender, with prominently pointed ears and almond-shaped eyes. High Elves on on average a bit thinner than humans, making them in general not as strong. Elves are among the most intelligent and magically skilled races within Ord, and many of their high cities surpass even Thessan in magical ability. Elves are an ancient and powerful people, whose years are long and whose passions run deep. They form tight communities in hidden forests but mingle freely with other humanoids, always welcome yet never at home. Elves favour things of natural and simple beauty and are famed for their poetry, dance, song, lore, and magical arts. When danger threatens their woodland homes, however, they reveal a stern martial side, demonstrating skill with sword, bow, and battle strategy. Elves are more often amused than excited, and more likely to be curious than greedy. With such a long life span, they keep a broad perspective on events, remaining aloof and unfazed by petty happenstance. When pursuing a goal, however, whether adventuring on a mission or learning a new skill or art, Elves can be focused and relentless. They are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. They reply to petty insults with disdain and to serious insults with vengeance. Elves generally have high expectations and do not hide that fact. They consider Humans rather unrefined, Halflings a bit staid, Gnomes somewhat trivial, and Dwarves not at all fun. They look on half-elves with some degree of pity, and they regard half-orcs with unrelenting suspicion. While they can be haughty, Elves are generally pleasant and gracious even to those who fall short of their standards (a category that encompasses just about everybody who's not an elf). Most Elves dwell in forested settlements, usually numbering less than two hundred souls. Their well-hidden villages are built among and blend into the trees, doing little harm to the forest. Elves hunt game, gather food, and grow vegetables, and their skill and magic allow them to support themselves without the need for clearing and ploughing land. They are talented artisans, crafting finely worked clothes and art objects. Their contact with outsiders is usually limited, though a few elves make a good living by trading crafted items for metals (which they have no interest in mining). Elves encountered outside their own lands are commonly travelling minstrels, favoured artists, or wandering sages. Human nobles compete for the services of elf instructors to teach swordplay to their children. Elves take up adventuring out of wanderlust. Being long-lived, they can enjoy centuries of exploration and discovery. They dislike the pace of human society, which is both regimented from day to day but ever changing over decades, so they find careers that let them to travel freely and set their own pace. Elves also enjoy exercising their martial prowess or gaining greater magical power, and adventuring allows them to do so. Some might be rebels, usually against unjust repression, while others might be champions of just causes. The Elven race has deep divisions caused by resulting in three primary sub races. High Elves High elves are famed for their complex cultures and cities. The "high culture" of these elves is often the cause of envy from other shorter lived races. Wood Elves The term wood elves is used to describe a heartier subrace of elves, more comfortable in Ord's wilderness then in the grand cities of the high cultures. Ages ago, these renegades broke away from the high elves to form much smaller communities or wander the wild and untamed places. They do not contribute to the high culture of the elves and often seek their own personal goals. Dark Elves Dark elves are referred to as such as a result of the Shayri curse. They have been severed from their elven heritage and are not seen as kin by other elves. For millennia, dark elves swore to subjugate or destroy the other elven races, however, their are exceptions who just try to live their lives.